UTA’s flag football program will play its games at Maverick Stadium in the spring of 2027.
ARLINGTON, Texas — UT Arlington officially introduced Melinda Nguyen as the head coach of its women’s flag football program during a press conference Monday at the College Park Center in Arlington. Her involvement in football dates back to age seven.
“I remember as a child who played flag football, I always dreamed that it would be a college sport, and now that dream is a reality,” Nguyen, UTA women’s flag football coach, said in a Monday press conference.
Nguyen appeared alongside Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jon Fagg and said recruiting efforts are already underway as Nguyen begins assembling the program’s inaugural roster ahead of its first season of competition in spring 2027.
“We’ve already begun recruiting and are excited to build a roster that reflects both the national and international growth, and we will also tap into the deep talent pools in Texas,” Nguyen said.
UTA’s flag football team will play its home games at Maverick Stadium in spring 2027. University officials said the concrete facility, which has a lifespan of several decades, has entered a period of necessary maintenance and will continue to evolve alongside the addition of the new varsity program. Planned renovations include updates that are largely non-public-facing, such as bathrooms and seating aesthetics.
The introduction of Nguyen follows UTA’s May 2025 announcement that it would add women’s flag football to its intercollegiate athletics program. The move made UT Arlington the first NCAA Division I university in Texas to add the sport. UTA will be just the fifth Division I institution nationally to sponsor women’s flag football and the third college across all divisions in Texas to do so.
“The energy stood out first, but once we got into deeper conversations, I realized that my dream of flag football and what I imagined the ultimate flag football collegiate team could look like really aligned with UTA,” Nguyen said.
Momentum around the sport continues to grow. With women’s flag football set to debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, UTA officials say the program provides a pathway for athletes with international aspirations.
“That’s why I’m here is because I think that UTA is a place where dreams can become a reality for not only me but for little girls who dream of playing flag football years and years down the line,” Nguyen said.
In February, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics recommended flag football for inclusion in the Emerging Sports for Women program. In March, the Dallas Cowboys launched a girls’ high school flag football league across North Texas, and last fall Arlington ISD announced plans to field teams at all six of its high schools.
Nguyen brings extensive experience to the role. She joins UTA after three seasons as head coach at Kansas Wesleyan, where she compiled a 49–17 record, including a 27–5 mark against Kansas Conference opponents. Her teams reached the NAIA Flag Football Finals in all three seasons.
Nguyen has also served as offensive coordinator for the Philippines Women’s National Team and as an assistant coach for the U.S. 15U Junior National Team, which won a silver medal at the 2025 Junior International Cup hosted by USA Football and the International Federation of American Football.
While at the University of Maryland, Nguyen was the head coach and quarterback of two club football teams, helping lead them to nine championships over a six-year span.